Kerry takes marquee on climate bill

Tags:

Text Size

-

+

reset

Sens. Kerry and Boxer announce the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act on the Capitol's East Lawn.
John Shinkle

Both Boxer and Kerry say they worked closely together on the legislation that was introduced Wednesday. Staffers say the two exchanged daily phone calls, frequently calling each other at home on the weekends.

“Sen. Kerry’s staff and my office have been a team, working together for weeks and weeks and often late into the night,” said Boxer.

But at a news conference about the legislation — named the Kerry-Boxer bill — Boxer repeatedly referred to Kerry as the “author” of the bill.

And although one of the critical issues that was left out of the bill — the distribution of billions of dollars of allowances — will be described in the chairman’s mark, authored by Boxer, Kerry will have a heavy hand in its drafting.

“Sen. Kerry is going to continue to work hand in hand with our committee on these allowances,” Boxer said.

And Boxer supporters say that the bill’s name is not necessarily a reflection of leadership. Just look at last year’s process, they say, when Boxer played a key role pushing the Lieberman-Warner bill through the Senate.

In March, Kerry hosted a dinner at his Georgetown home to discuss how to move climate change legislation through the Senate. Attendees included Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Todd Stern, the State Department’s special envoy for climate change, energy and climate czar Carol Browner, science and technology adviser John Holdren and Stern’s deputy, Jonathan Pershing. Economic adviser Larry Summers was to be there, too, but canceled after Obama called him away for a last-minute meeting.

Over the summer, he increased his efforts, making the case that climate change was a national security in the hope of using the argument to get more Republicans on board.

And he played a key role in drafting the legislation and reaching out to moderate Democrats on both sides of the aisle. He wrote a title of the legislation that increased funding for nuclear research and development and worker training, say Senate aides, a top concern for Republicans and some moderate Democrats.

The bill faces a steep uphill climb in the Senate. The Democratic Caucus is divided over the legislation, with many rural and manufacturing state senators pushing for a slower approach and more liberal members advocating for stricter cuts for greenhouse gases.

Indeed, criticism of the measure began even as Kerry and Boxer were unveiling the bill at a news conference Wednesday.

“Is this bill perfect? No, it’s not,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said at the news conference. “Does it have to be made stronger? In my opinion, yes, it does.”

Within hours, the harsher critiques came rolling into inboxes across Washington.

“The climate legislation proposed today by Sens. Boxer and Kerry is a disappointing step in the wrong direction, and I am against it,” said Sen. John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) “This is by no means the defining word on climate legislation in the Senate.”

So when the USSR and East Block broke up why did all the communist run to the environmental movement?This theme is continuously repeated by this administration. A cap and trade bill will further ruin our economy.

So do get to read the the Senator's wonderful basic bill before they pass it? I've read the 800 plus page house robbery and was less than impressed by it. Rather amazing how the power structure of the Democrats is reflected in the bill while the people get to pay and pay. Why are all the bailout dollars going to overseas companies while our skilled workes cash unemployment or welfare checks. Way to go, Gore, throw some more dollars to your overseas investments for products your rich friends can afford but mean nothing to the other 95%.

I know that Kerry doesn't know what is in his own bill but some of us have a deep pocket interest and don't feel we want him to spend our money as if it were Teresa's. This year my charity is my furnace and a two hundred year old house thay Kerry and Boxer would like to price out of the market for me.

Swift Boat Veterans For Truth -- some of the best money that I ever spent.

yeah we got bush instead what a joke how perfect, flawless

What do you call financing 5 trillion dollars, doubling the amount of people below the poverty line, doubling the wait for 200 ft yahts and vetoing health care for poor baby Christians: Evangelical Management

I would think that the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee MIGHT have enough on his plate dealing with all the foreign relations problems we have. Why anyone would listen to Kerry any more is beyond me. Boxer, also, has become irrelevant, nationwide. They both are too extreme, and make ridiculous statements.

Why isn't the press giving more coverage to the fact that global average temperatures have dropped for the past 10 years? Some ice has melted, while more has been formed. Global warming is far from proven.

Those who have been convinced that it is a real threat are being made fools for those who are furthering a much bigger agenda. Diversion, diversion, diversion. "Make them obsess on a foolish issue, while we move in and overcome them before they have a clue what is really happening."

This bill is about useless as Kerry and Boxer. I find it hard to understand that in times like this all this government can figure out to do is spend money or cause every tax payer to spend money. Record unemployment on the rise. So many families have lost their homes. They can not find any work and to top it all off we are dealt a double threat of the cost of living going higher than ever before. This Cap-Trade Bill is one of them and the other is health insurance. What is up with this zhit? To place more expenditures on the public shows the lack of any knowledge that Washington has about the public.

Now we find that Boxer and Kerry wants to make the legislation even more expensive by adding a new time line and limits on carbon emissions. What is wrong with these people? Find some jobs for the public everything here makes everything more expensive and worse.

This year should be called the year that "CONGRESS WENT NUTS" . If we had normal employment this bill would increase the cost on everything we buy. Granted they say we will not be taxed but everything we buy uses some sort of energy and this will passed down to us. Maybe we will be able to breathe for free but nothing else. The President and Congress think we the people are stupid. We are not and they will pay a price for all of this nonsense at the polls. If they really want something to do they can cut their salaries, benefits, raises in their expenditure that they will be receiving and start promoting job creation. Keep that green machine nonsense out of the picture. This industry has not even started up and would take a life time to get any jobs out of it. We will all be dead and gone before that happens.

We have over 6 million people out of work and unemployment is estimated to keep going up to 10.5%. Now this is where we have a crisis. Health insurance and cap-trade can wait until we get back on our feet. We can not do that unless the idiots in Washington focus on something different than raising our cost of living. To many people need help. Raising pricing is not wanted or needed.

RObamadan- the best weather is one with no democrats in the atmosphere- at any elevation. Who on earth without cognitive dissonance would want democrats to continue polluting our brainwaves, our lives, our laws, our air, our courts, our bedrooms, our gun safes, our cars....

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) tapped John Kerry, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, along with Boxer, the chairwoman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, to shepherd the climate bill through the Senate.

I guess it takes three blind sheep to "shepherd" a climate bill through the senate. Along with their flock of mindless followers, these clueless millionaires are determined to wreak havoc on the lives of middle class and poor Americans with inane legislation that will have no effect on their lavish lifestyles. It is high time to throw these useless dinosaurs out on their heads.